This invention relates to digital processing of a plurality of images and, in particular, the superimposing of one image on another. In one illustrative application of this invention, the digital processing occurs in the context of the Internet and on a web-site, which is accessible via a transmission link, the Internet for example, typically by users employing a browser to select and modify one or both of the sets of images before superimposing one on another. In a further application, this invention may be used to permit a customer from his/her browser to select and modify a first image in the form of a logo or trademark of a company, a geographic unit such as a country, city, state, etc., or a sports team, etc., and to superimpose that selected first image onto on a second image of a promotional product such as luggage, apparel such as a hat, writing instruments, electronic devices such as a radio and the like.
The internet comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks that are interconnected through communication links. The interconnected computers exchange information using various services, such as electronic mail, Gopher, and the World Wide Web (xe2x80x9cWWWxe2x80x9d). The WWW service allows a server computer system (i.e., Web server or Web site) to send graphical Web pages of information to a remote client computer system. The remote client computer system can then display the Web pages. Each resource (e.g., computer or Web page) of the WWW is uniquely identifiable by a Uniform Resource Locator (xe2x80x9cURLxe2x80x9d). To view a specific Web page, a client computer system specifies the URL for that Web page in a request (e.g. a HyperText Transfer Protocol (xe2x80x9cHTTPxe2x80x9d) request). The request is forwarded to the Web server that supports that Web page. When the Web server receives the request, it sends that Web page to the client computer system. When the client computer system receives that Web page, it typically displays the Web page using a browser. A browser is a special-purpose application program that effects the requesting of Web pages and the displaying of Web pages.
Currently, Web pages are typically defined using HyperText Markup Language (xe2x80x9cHTMLxe2x80x9d). HTML provides a standard set of tags that define how a Web page is to be displayed. When a user indicates to the browser to display a Web page, the browser sends a request to the server computer system to transfer to the client computer system an HTML document that defines the Web page. When the requested HTML document is received by the client computer system, the browser displays the Web page as defined by the HTML document. The HTML document contains various tags that control the displaying of text, graphics, controls, and other features. The HTML document may contain URLs of other Web pages available on that server computer system or other server computer systems.
The World Wide Web is especially conducive to conducting electronic commerce. Web Servers have been programmed to permit vendors to provide a wide array products and services for sale over the Internet. A user, who is a potential purchaser, may browse one or more websites, which provide lists of products or services for sale, much like a catalogue. A purchaser may preview these lists to select a desired product or services to be purchased. When the user has completed selecting the items to be purchased, the server computer system then prompts the user to enter information to complete the ordering of the selected items. This purchase generally deals with how and where the selected items may be delivered to the purchaser and how the purchaser will pay for the selected items.
A service to be marketed over the Internet involves the superimposing of one image on another to permit the prospective purchaser to preview the composite image before buying. TOMAX USA.com (www.tomaxusa.com/e-sample/) is an example of such a service, where a second image of a logo of a business company or athletic team for example may by superimposed on a first image in the form of promotion merchandise such as a watch, clock, calculators or other electronics. Initially, a second image logo is forwarded to TOMAX. The logo may be in the form of a photograph, e.g., a black and white color separated artwork of the logo, and, in that form, would be forwarded by mail to TOMAX. Alternatively, the logo may be scanned and converted to a digital signal, before being formatted by Adobe Illustrator into an EPS format or by Adobe PhotoShop; the formatted signals are transmitted to TOMAX USA.com. If E-mailed, an indication of the PMS color also needs to be transmitted to permit the logo to be reproduced at the processing site in its precise colors. At the processing site, the received image of the logo is converted back to a hard copy, before it is assembled with the promotional product of interest and a photograph of the logo superimposed on the product is taken. In turn, the photograph is scanned and the converted, rasterized image is transmitted as an E-mail attachment to the user""s browser, where it may be previewed. TOMAX USA indicates that the superimposing process will require 60 hours or perhaps less, depending on workload. In addition, a security code number is transmitted with the superimposed image to the purchaser, while the superimposed image is also uploaded to the website of TOMAX USA. The purchaser may use that security code to access on line the superimposed image from TOMAX USA""s website. Similarly, the purchaser may give that security code to another person, a customer of the purchaser for example, whereby the customer may also view the superimposed image from this website.
A drawback to the technique described above is that the superimposing is performed photographically and, as a result, requires a significant amount of time. Further, the TOMAX USA process is not capable of adjusting the color of either the image of the logo and/or the promotional product. Further, there is no provision for changing the relative size of the logo with regard to the product. It is appreciated that the size of the product may vary; for example, the product may take the form of a piece of luggage or a relatively small product such as a ball point pen. In order to fit a logo on a particular product, it is necessary to adjust the size of the logo to fit that of the product. Still further, it is necessary to place the logo on the product in accordance with the configuration and size of the product. In the example of the ball point pen, the size of the logo is selected to be relatively small, and the logo is oriented along the axis of the pen. On the other hand if the logo is placed on luggage, the size of the logo would normally be larger. The logo could be disposed in a number of positions relative to the luggage, e.g., parallel to its bottom surface or diagonally across a side surface, i.e., the logo would be disposed to intersect the bottom surface at an angle. In short, the above described website does not permit the purchaser to adjust on line the relative size, color or location of the logo with respect to the promotional product.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to digitally process and superimpose a second image on a first image and to display the composite image, whereby a prospective purchaser can preview the product bearing the logo represented by the composite image.
It is one object of this invention to permit the purchaser to change and view the color of the first image, e.g., a logo, and the second image, e.g., a promotional product, before making a selection of the color for these images from a selection of colors.
It is a further object of this invention to permit the purchaser to change the relative size of the first image with respect to the second image and to preview these changes, before finalizing the relative sizes of the first and second images.
It is a still further object of this invention to permit the purchaser to change and preview the relative orientation of the second image with respect to the first image, before finally determining the relative orientation.
It is another object of this invention to permit on line access to a website that is connected to the Internet, whereby the purchaser may vary image parameters such as the color, the relative size and the relative orientation of the images of the logo to the promotional product, before finally setting these parameters.
In accordance with these and other objects of the invention, this invention provides a method of preparing a server to support a client system to construct and preview a composite image. The composite image comprises first and second images. The method of this invention comprises the steps of constructing at the server first and second libraries, inputting to the server data representative of sets of the first and second images, and generating from the inputted set of first images a corresponding set of templates. Each template beares a corresponding one of the set of the first images. Next the set of templates is loaded into the first library. Then, the set of second images is loaded into the second library.
In one illustrative embodiment of this invention, the first image represents a promotional product, the second image represents a logo and the composite image is the logo superimposed on the promotional product.
In a further aspect of this invention, the method of this invention includes the step of creating and storing in memory a set of first parameters that defines a certain characteristic of the first image, and a set of second parameters that define a certain characteristic of the second image. In an illustrated embodiment of this invention, each of the first and second parameters defines a particular color, and a further parameter defines the relative size of the second image as compared to the first image.
In another aspect of this invention, the method of this invention comprises the further step of preparing a first webpage bearing indicia designed to be actuated by a user of the supported client system to select one of the set of first images, embedding the selected first image into the webpage to be downloaded to and displayed by the supported client system, creating and storing in memory a set of first parameters that define a certain characteristic of the first image, and preparing a second webpage bearing indicia designed to be actuated by the user of the supported client system to select one of the set of first parameters to define that characteristic of the selected first image.
In a still further aspect of this invention, the method of this invention comprises the steps of preparing a third webpage bearing indicia designed to be actuated by the user of the supported client system to select one of the set of second images, of embedding the selected second image into the third webpage to be downloaded to and displayed by the supported client system, of creating and storing in memory a set of second parameters that define a certain characteristic of the second image, and of preparing the third webpage to bear further indicia to be actuated by the user of the supported client system to select one of the set of second parameters to define that characteristic of the selected second image.
In a further aspect, the method of this invention permits a client system to construct and preview a composite image, which includes first and second images. First and second libraries are provided at a server supporting the client system to store respectively sets of the first and second images. The method is carried out by the steps of establishing a communication session over a communication link between the server and the client system, and of facilitating a user at the client system during the course of said communication session to select from the first library a selected first image and to select from the second library a selected second image. Then, a template is generated bearing the selected first and second images, before the template is embedded into a webpage. Finally, the webpage is downloaded to the client system to display the composite image at the client system.